Drum or barrel head.



In. $97,027. I Patented Apr. 8, I902. 4.1.. SHEPPARD.

DRUM 0R BARREL HEAD.

(Application filed Oct. 3, 1901.

Qlo Modai.)

WITNESSES g I 3A llorlzey i Nrr STAES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN L. SHEPPARD, OF CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA.

DRUM OR BARREL HEAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 697,027, dated April 8,1902.

Application filed October 3, 1901. Serial No. 77,475. (No model.)

[0 aZZ whom, it 'nuw concern.-

Be it known that I ,J OHN L. SHEPPARD,a resident of Charleston, in thecounty of Charleston and State of South Carolina, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Drum or Barrel Heads; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in barrels, drums, and similarpackages, and more particularly to the heads thereof, the object of theinvention being to so construct these packages as to permit of theirbeing delivered to the users in a finished condition with both headspermanently set in position. Packages so completed can be quickly filledand quickly emptied, and their contents can be examined and samples canbe drawn as often as desired, and this at small cost, Without the aid ofan expert cooper or other skilled labor, and packages can be used andreused without removing the liners or the hoops and with no injuryto thepackage itself.

WVith this object in View the invention con sists in certain novelfeatures of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, aswill be more fully hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a View illustrating myimprovements. Fig. 2 is a view in section of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 areviews of detail parts, and Figso and 6 are views illustrating a modifiedform of my invention.

Heretofore in the use of packages of this character the heads or atleast one of the heads is fitted into the package at the factoryloosely, the outer lining-hoops are not put on, and the hoops around thebarrel are not nailed. On the receipt of such package the user has toemploy skilled labor to remove this looselyfitted head. Then thecontents are run in and the head is replaced and the hoops are nailed onthe ends of the barrel, and the liners are also nailed to prevent theescape of the head. All this requires skilled labor and is necessarilyexpensive to the user of these packages, and this expense must berepeated every time the package is opened for any purpose where it isdesired to again close the package. As the hoops about the head have tobe driven off, being securely nailed, they are always injured and oftenhave to be replaced by new hoops. When drums are employed, while it istrue the hoops around the outside are always secured in place still whenthe head is removed the drum is not perfectly round, and it requiresvery skilled labor to insert the head and secure it in place by theliners and is a source of great expense to the users of these drums.

To avoid all of the above objectionable features, my present inventionwas devised and is as follows: i

1 represents a barrel-head or the like provided with a circular opening,preferably in the center thereofaud made with an'inwardlyprojectinghorizontal flange 2 all around said opening and flush with theinner orlower face of the head 1, but in a plane below the upper or outer facethereof, to form a seat for a removable disk or closure 3, which latteris made with a central enlargement 4 to project into the opening in thehead 1 and when in position lies flush with the lower or inner facethereof, and the upper or outer face of the disk lies flush with theupper or outer face of the head. This head 1, as well as the other headof the barrel, is secured in position before the packages are shippedfrom the factory and need not be disturbed, as the opening therein islarge enough to permit the filling and emptying of the barrel.Cross-bars 5 are secured on the lower or inner face of 'enlargement 4and project beyond the periphery thereof to form lugs 6, and the flange2 is made with notches 7 to permit the entrance of said lugs; but whenthe disk 3 is turned slightly after being placed in position the lugs 6will be disposed out of alinement with the notches 7, and hence belocked securely beneath the flange 2 and secure the disk in place.

A bar 8 is secured on the upper face of the disk 3 and projects over theedge thereof, and a screw 9 is passed through said bar 8 and into thehead 1 to prevent any possibility of accidental displacement of thedisk.

When the package is filled and the disk is secured in place, it issecurely sealed by a frangible sheet or label 10, glued or pasted overthe disk and the portion of the head surrounding the same and for theconvenience of customers may have printed thereon instructions forremoving the disk and such other matter as is desired.

To remove the disk, the frangible covering 10 is easily broken allaround the edge of the disk, when by unscrewing screw 9 and turning thedisk so as to aline the lugs 6 with the notches 7 in the head the diskcan be readily removed.

Instead of constructing my improvements as above described I might makethe same as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. In this form of my invention Idispense with the use of the lugs 6, notches 7, and bar Sand secure thediskin the head 1 by screws 11, which are passed through the disk andinto the flange 2 of the head, and the frangible label 10, abovereferred to, is glued or pasted over the disk and the portion of thehead surrounding the same.

It will be seen that by employing my improvements on a barrel, drum,keg, bucket, or the like receptacle the contents thereof can be easilyinspected or removed without injury to the receptacle and afterinspection can be made as secure as before, and this without theemployment of skilled labor.

Various other slight changes might be resorted to in the general formand arrangement of the several parts described without departing from myinvention, and hence I would have it understood that I do not wish tolimit myself to the precise details set forth, but consider myself atliberty to make such slight changes and alterations as fairly fallwithin the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a drum or barrel head,having an opening,the wallof said opening countersunk to form an annular shoulder, of a diskclosing said opening and seated on said annular shoulder, the upper faceof said disk alining with the upper face of the head, removablefastening devices for securing the disk to the head, and a frangiblesheet covering said disk and secured to the upper face of the head.

' 2. The combination with a drum or barrel head having an openingtherein, and a flange around said opening flush with the inner face ofthe head, of a disk supported on said flange flush with the outer faceof the head, an enlargement or extension on the disk fitting saidopening'and flush with the inner face of the head,,lugs on saidextension projecting be yond the same and adapted to be moved intoalinement with notches in the flange, and a bar on the outer face of thedisk adapted to project over and be secured to, the head.

3. The combination with a drum or barrel head having an opening thereinand a flange around said opening, said flange countersunk to form anannular shoulder, of a disk or closure adapted to fit into said openingand rest upon said annular shoulder, means for removably securing thedisk in said opening, and a frangible sheet glued to the disk,overlapping the head and secured upon the latter, said frangible sheetalso covering the removable securing means.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

JOHN L. SHEPPARD. Witnesses:

KATIE M. SHEPPARD, J. ALFRED WHITE.

